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F. A. MERRELL.

Show-Box- No. 226,182 Patenie'd April 6,1880.

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FREDERICK A. MERRELL, OF HOME, N'EWV YORK.

SHOW-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 226,182, dated April 6, 1880.

Application filed October 28, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. MER- RELL, of Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packages for Strip Dry-Goods; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel form in which to put up edges, embroideries, laces, ribbons, and similar articles of dry goods which come in strip form, its object being to make a compact and attractive package, and to facilitate measuring off a required length of the goods in retail trade.

l-leretofore strip-goods have usually been wound upon cards, forming a thin flat oblong package, in which, when once opened, the entire outer layer is exposed in handling and is soon soiled. If the goods are unwound, it is, moreover, a slow operation to wind them up again by hand, so that a considerable stock is with difficulty kept in order.

To obviate these objections I provide a spool which is supported on journals in a box just large enough to allow the spool, with its contained strip of goods, to freely turn therein. Through a slit in the front or cover of the box, or through the open top thereof, the goods may be drawn off the spool to any desired length, and any end left protruding may be quickly and smoothly run back upon the spool by rotating the latter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, A represents a rectangular paper box, shown in perspective in Figure 1, in end elevation in Fig. 2, in central longitudinal vertical section in Fig. 3, and as forming one of agross-package in Fig. 6. If provided with a cover, 0, the latter is preferably hinged to the back of the box-body at a, Fig. 2. One end of the box is cut lower than the sides, as also shown in Fig. 2, exposing the adjacent head H of the inclosed spool S, so that the latter may be readily rotated to wind up a protruding end of the goods by the finger applied to the said head H. There is no need, therefore, to handle the material on the spool. The box may be without a cover and the goods measured off through the open top, or there may be a slit, 8, cut in the front or in the cover of the box.

The spool S is wound at the factory, preferably before inserting it in the box. To facilitate its insertion subsequent to filling I have provided the open-slotted bearings B B, (one-- at each end of the box,) in which the slot 25 is so open at the top that the spool-heads H guide the journals J to their places with certainty as the spool is dropped into the box.

In order to prevent the withdrawal of the journal from the shallow bearing by springing the box, I use for such journals smooth thinheaded nails, and provide room between the bearing and the box-head for the head of the same, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. Said bearing may be made of two pieces of strawboard, the inner one of which has a wide slot, 2?, to admit the head of the nail or journal J, and the outer one of which has the narrow slot t, to receive the shank of the nail, and thereby support the spool; or the bearing-piece may be made of a single piece of paper or metal, B, struck up to provide room for the naiLhead.

The package is better fitted for market by drawing the free end of the strip out from beneath the cover 0 or through the slits, securing it neatly beneath the pasted strip or loop L on the front or top of the box. A strip of black paper may be applied to the box, over which to better display the fabric, if desired.

The boxes A, made of uniform size for several different pieces of the same class of goods, are placed in a'larger box or carton, N, to form a gross-package, as shown in Fig. 6. The face of the boxes, on which are displayed the protruding samples or ends of the pieces severally contained therein, may be placed uppermost in the carton, for showing the goods on the counter; and that they may be so placed,

and also in transportation or in stock be placed 9 with a blank side or top up, the boxes A are carefully made of equal height and width.

In applying the inclosing-box to the packing of ribbon as now usually putin rolls upon blocks, to secure the end of my invention, several rolls may be mounted loosely on a single rod or wire supported at its ends by the box and passing through the sey eral rolls. The heads H may, in that case, be also loosely applied to the journal or rod mentioned, and one such head placed between all adjacent ribbonrolls, if desired.

By the provision shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5 to receive the head of the journal J, it is evident that the parts cannot be deranged in use, notwithstanding they are, of necessity, cheaply constructed and joined.

Having thus described my invention, I claim my invention I atfix my signature in presence 20 of two witnesses.

FREDERICK A. MERRELL.

Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, J mm 002:, J r. 

